The world of rainforest flora is enormously diverse. Among the trees that grow on the coast you can find a coconut tree. Their fruits - coconuts are very useful, they are used in cooking and cosmetology.
Here you can find different types of banana plants that people use as fruits and vegetables, depending on the ripening stage.
Banana plant
One of the tropical plants is mangoes, among which the most famous Indian mango species.
Melon tree, better known as papaya, grows in forests and is of great economic importance.
Melon tree, papaya
Breadfruit is another representative of forests that are highly prized by nutritious fruits.
One of the mulberry tree family is marang.
In the rainforests you can find the durian plant. Their flowers grow directly on the trunks, and the fruits are protected by thorns.
Morinda citrus-leafed grows in South Asia, has edible fruits, which are part of the diet of the population of some Pacific islands.
Pitaya is a liana-shaped cactus of tropical forests, has sweet and edible fruits.
One of the interesting tropical plants is the rambutan tree. It reaches a height of 25 meters and is evergreen.
Rambutan
Small evergreen guava trees grow in the rainforests.
The fast-growing evergreen tropical tree Perseus American is nothing more than an avocado plant found in many forests.
Perseus american, avocado
Different types of ferns, mosses and lichens, lianas and epiphytes, bamboos, sugar cane, and cereals grow in tropical forests.
Rainforest levels
Typically, the rainforest has 4-5 tiers. At the very top, trees grow up to 70 meters. These are evergreen trees. In seasonal forests, they dump foliage during a period of drought. These trees protect the lower levels from wind, rain and cold. Then begins the tier of crowns (canopy) at the level of 30-40 meters. Here the leaves and branches are adjacent to each other very tightly. It is very difficult for people to reach this height in order to explore the world of flora and fauna of the canopy. They use special techniques and aircraft. The average forest level is the undergrowth. A peculiar living world has formed here. Then comes the litter. These are various herbal plants.
The rainforest flora is very diverse. Scientists have not yet studied these forests, since they are very impassable. In the future, new species of plants will be discovered in tropical forests.
About half of all the forests on our planet account for tropical forests (gileas) that grow in Africa, Southeast Asia, South and Central America. Rainforests are located between 25 ° north latitude and 30 ° south latitude, where heavy rains often occur. The rainforest ecosystem occupies less than two percent of the Earth’s surface, but from 50 to 70 percent of all life forms on our planet are found here.
The largest rainforests are in Brazil (South America), Zaire (Africa) and Indonesia (Southeast Asia). Also, rainforest is found in Hawaii, the islands of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean.
Rainforest climate
The climate in the rainforest is very warm, characterized and humid. From 400 to 1000 cm of precipitation falls here annually. The tropics are characterized by a uniform annual distribution of precipitation. There is practically no change of seasons, and the average air temperature is 28 degrees Celsius. All these conditions significantly influenced the formation of the richest ecosystem on our planet.
Soil in the rainforest
The soil of the tropics is poor in minerals and nutrients - there is a lack of potassium, nitrogen and other trace elements. Usually it has a red and red-yellow color. Due to frequent rainfall, nutrients are absorbed by the roots of plants or go deep into the soil. That is why the aborigines of the tropical forests used the slash-and-burn agricultural system: all vegetation was cut down in small areas, it was subsequently burned, and then the soil was cultivated. Ash acts as a nutrient. When the soil begins to turn barren, usually after 3-5 years, the inhabitants of tropical settlements moved to new areas for farming. This is a sustainable agricultural method that provides continuous forest restoration.
Rainforest plants
The warm, humid climate of the rainforests provides the perfect environment for a huge abundance of amazing plant life. The tropical forest is divided into several tiers, which are characterized by their own flora and fauna. The tallest tropic trees receive the most sunlight, as they reach heights of more than 50 meters. This includes, for example, a cotton tree.
The second tier is the dome. It is the habitat for half of the wildlife in the rainforests - birds, snakes and monkeys. These include trees below 50 m in height with wide leaves hiding sunlight from the lower floors. These are philodendron, strychnos venomous and rattan palms. On them, creepers usually reach the sun.
The third tier is inhabited by shrubs, ferns and other shade-tolerant species.
The last tier, the lower one, is usually dark and humid, since the sun's rays hardly penetrate here. It consists of overripe foliage, mushrooms and lichens, as well as young shoots of plants of higher tiers.
In each of the regions where tropical forests grow, there are different types of trees.
Tropical Trees of Central and South America:
- Mahogany (Sweitinia spp.)
- Spanish Cedar (Cedrella spp.)
- Rosewood and Cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa)
- Purple Tree (Peltogyne purpurea)
- Kingwood
- Espina Cedro (Pochote spinosa)
- Tulipwood
- Guyacan (Tabebuia chrysantha)
- Tabebuia pinka (Tabebuia rosea)
- Bocote
- Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril)
- Guapinol (Prioria copaifera)
Tropical trees of Africa:
- Bubinga
- Ebony
- Zebrano
- Pink tree
Tropical trees of Asia:
- Malaysian maple
In the rainforest, rainforests are widespread that feed on caught insects and small animals. Among them, it should be noted Nepentes (Pitcher Plants), sundew, paprika, pemphigus. By the way, plants of the lower level attract insects for pollination with their bright flowering, since in these layers the wind is practically absent.
Valuable crops are grown in places of deforestation of tropical forests:
- mango;
- bananas
- papaya;
- coffee;
- cocoa;
- vanilla;
- sesame;
- sugarcane;
- avocado;
- cardamom;
- cinnamon;
- turmeric;
- nutmeg.
These cultures play an important role in cooking and cosmetology. Some tropical plants serve as raw materials for drugs, in particular, anti-cancer.
Adaptation of Tropical Plants to Survival
Any flora needs moisture. There is no shortage of water in the rainforest, but often there is too much of it. Rainforest plants must survive in areas where heavy rains and floods occur. The leaves of tropical plants help fight off raindrops, and some species are armed with a drip tip designed for quick rainfall.
Tropic plants need light to live. The dense vegetation of the upper tiers of the forest transmits little sunlight to the lower tiers. Therefore, tropical rainforest plants must either adapt to life at constant twilight, or grow up quickly in order to “see” the sun.
It is worth noting that in the tropics trees grow with a thin and smooth bark that can accumulate moisture. Some types of plants in the lower part of the crown have leaves wider than at the top. This helps transmit more sunlight to the soil.
As for the epiphytes themselves, or aerial plants growing in the rainforest, they get nutrients from plant debris and bird droppings, which land on the roots and are not dependent on the poor soil of the forest. In the rainforests, there are such aerial plants as orchids, bromeliads, ferns, large-flowered selenicereus, and others.
As mentioned, the soil in most tropical forests is very poor and contains no nutrients. To capture nutrients at the top of the soil, most rainforest trees have shallow roots. Others are wide and powerful, as they must hold a massive tree.
Rainforest animals
Animals of the rainforest amaze with their diversity. It is in this natural zone that you can meet the largest number of representatives of the fauna of our planet. Most of them are in the Amazon rainforest. For example, there are 1800 species of butterflies alone.
In general, the rainforest is the habitat of most amphibians (lizards, snakes, crocodiles, salamanders), predators (jaguars, tigers, leopards, cougars). All animals of the tropics have a bright color, as spots and stripes are the best camouflage in the thicket of the jungle. The sounds of the rainforest are provided by the polyphony of songbirds. In the forests of the tropics, the world's largest population of parrots, among other interesting birds, there are South American harpies, belonging to one of fifty species of eagles and which are on the verge of extinction. No less striking birds are peacocks, the beauty of which has long been a legend.
There are also more monkeys living in the tropics: arachnids, orangutans, chimpanzees, monkeys, baboons, gibbons, red-bearded jumpers, gorillas. In addition, there are sloths, lemurs, Malay and sun bears, rhinos, hippos, tarantulas, ants, piranhas and other animals.
Rainforest Extinction
Tropical wood has long been synonymous with exploitation and robbery. Giant trees are the goal of entrepreneurs who use them for commercial purposes. How are forests exploited? The most obvious way to use rainforest trees is the furniture industry.
According to the European Commission, about one fifth of timber imports to the EU are illegal sources. Every day, thousands of products of the international wooden mafia pass through the store shelves. Tropical wood products are often labeled as "luxury wood", "hardwood", "natural wood" and "solid wood". Typically, these terms are used to mask tropical wood from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
The main countries exporting tropical trees are Cameroon, Brazil, Indonesia and Cambodia. The most popular and expensive species of tropical wood that is for sale is mahogany, teak and rosewood.
Meranti, ramin, and gabun are classified as inexpensive tropical wood species.
The consequences of deforestation
In most countries where rainforests grow, illegal logging is a common occurrence and a serious problem. Economic losses reach billions of dollars, and environmental and social damage are incalculable.
Deforestation results in deforestation and profound environmental change. Rainforests contain the largest in the world. As a result of poaching, millions of species of animals and plants lose their habitat and as a result disappear.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), more than 41,000 plant and animal species are at risk, including large monkeys such as gorillas and orangutans. Scientific estimates of lost species vary greatly: from 50 to 500 species per day.
In addition, the forestry equipment involved in the removal of wood destroys the sensitive topsoil, damages the roots and bark of other trees.
Extraction of iron ore, bauxite, gold, oil and other minerals also destroys large areas of tropical forests, for example, in the Amazon.
The value of the rainforest
Tropical rainforests play an important role in the ecosystem of our planet. Felling of this particular natural zone leads to the formation of a greenhouse effect and, subsequently, to global warming. The largest tropical forest in the world - the Amazon forest - plays the most important role in this process. 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions are attributed specifically to deforestation. The Amazon rainforest alone holds 120 billion tons of carbon.
The rainforests also contain a huge amount of water. Therefore, another consequence of deforestation is a disturbed water cycle. This in turn can lead to regional droughts and changes in global weather conditions - with potentially devastating consequences.
The rainforest is home to unique representatives of flora and fauna.
How to protect rainforests?
In order to prevent the negative consequences of deforestation, it is necessary to expand forest areas and strengthen control over forests at the state and international levels. In addition, it is important to raise people's awareness of the role forests play on this planet. According to environmentalists, it is also worth encouraging the reduction, processing and reuse of forest products. Switching to alternative energy sources, such as fossil gas, in turn, can reduce the need to exploit wood for heating.
Deforestation, including tropical forests, can be done without harming this ecosystem. In Central and South America and Africa, tree felling is a selective method. Only trees that have reached a certain age and trunk thickness are cut down, and young ones remain untouched. This method causes minimal damage to the forest, because it allows it to recover quickly.
Rainforests are the "lungs" of our planet, the most precious treasure, the "big pharmacy of the Earth." For many years it was believed that they produce colossal volumes of oxygen, but this was not the case, but a humid climate contributes to perfect air filtration and purification from pollution. In this area, a lot of medicinal plants grow, which have found application in folk and official medicine. Where a huge number of birds, predators, artiodactyl, amphibian creatures live, all of them somehow coexist on the same territory, surprising travelers with their abundance.
Rainforest Spread
It will immediately become clear where the tropical forests grow, if you explain that they seem to “encircle” the planet along the Equator. They are located in humid equatorial, dry tropical, moderate, representing a clear line, interrupted only by mountains and oceans. Vegetation changes depending on air temperature and rainfall. Rainy areas are covered with evergreen flora, drier regions are characterized by deciduous plants, and then there are savannah forests. Both in South America and in Africa, monsoon forests are located in the west, savannahs in the east, and equatorial forests in the middle.
Forest levels
Description of the rainforest will be more understandable if you divide it into tiers. Four main levels can be distinguished. The uppermost are evergreen trees up to 70 m tall, their green caps are mostly only on top, but on the bottom are bare trunks. These giants can withstand hurricanes and temperature changes without problems, sheltering the remaining tiers from the weather. The main owners here are eagles, butterflies, bats. Next comes the forest canopy, consisting of 45-meter trees. The level of crowns is considered the most diverse, about 25% of all species of insects live here. Scientists agree that 40% of the species of all plants on the planet are located on this tier, although it has not been fully studied.
This is followed by the middle level, called undergrowth, here live snakes, birds, lizards, the number of insects is also huge. On the tier of the forest litter are animal remains and rotting plants. Such stratification is more characteristic of humid tropics. Here, for example, selva - the forests of South America - is divided into only three levels. The first is grass, low plants, ferns, the second is reed, low shrubs, young trees, and the third is 40-meter trees.
The species of flora and fauna that prevail in them depend on where the tropical forests grow. For example, mangroves are common in equatorial and tropical latitudes in the zones of tidal stripes of sea coasts. Plants grow here, accustomed to do without oxygen and feel great in salty soil. Their roots create an excellent habitat for oysters, crustaceans, commercial fish species. On the slopes of the mountains in the area of \u200b\u200bfog condensation, mossy or foggy forests grow, characterized by a low night temperature.
In arid regions, savannah and rainforest prevail, but dry. The plants here are evergreen, but xeromorphic and stunted. In the regions of equatorial and tropical zones with a variable climate, variable-humid forests grow, characterized by deciduous crowns and a small number of vines and epiphytes. They are found in South America, Africa, Sri Lanka, India and Indochina.
Rainforest climate
In humid tropical forests, air temperature ranges from 20 ° C to 35 ° C, it rains here almost daily, so humidity is kept at 80%, and in some regions reaches 100%. In the subtropics there is no pronounced seasonality, the temperature is characterized by stability. On the slopes of the mountains, where fogs are observed, it is warm during the day, and at night a sharp cooling to 0 ° C is possible. The climate of the rainforest varies by belt. In the tropics, there is high temperature and low humidity, at the equator there is a lot of moisture and very hot, and in the sub-equatorial zone the weather depends on monsoons.
Tropic trees
Rainforest trees are significantly different from temperate trees. The peculiarity of their development is affected by weather conditions, because at the equator there is no seasonality, it rains almost daily, and air temperature is 25-35 ° С. If giants in Russia have been growing for several centuries, then 10-15 years are enough. Each type of tree drops leaves in a strictly defined period, it can be every six months, once every 2-3 years. They bloom too, whenever they want, many representatives of the flora delight in flowers once a decade. The trees are mostly large, leathery leaves, strong enough to withstand powerful torrential showers. More than 600 species of bamboo, chocolate cola, marang, jackfruit, mango, etc. grow in the tropics.
Exotic shrubs
The question of whether there is a bushy layer in the rainforests remains rather controversial. It exists in the subtropical and temperate zones, but not in the equatorial ones. Of course, there are representatives of shrubs, but they are very few and they will not create their own level. Together with them, grassy phanerophytes grow, preserving the trunk from one to several years, and undersized trees. This includes representatives of the families of scytamin, Marat, and bananas. Most of the bushes belong to dicotyledons, their leaves are large, but tender.
Rainforest grass
In the virgin forests live incredibly beautiful, bright, with an unusual appearance of the bird. Each individual part of the world boasts some kind of feathered species. For example, in the tropics of Asia, turoci live, in appearance they resemble partridges, only slightly larger. They run fast, so in case of danger they don’t take off, but fly away with whatever strength they have. Shrubby hens, pheasants, and royal peacocks also live in the forests. In the American tropics you can find tinama - a poorly flying bird with short but very strong legs. Well, how can you not remember the bright, cheerful and talkative parrots, without which the tropics are not tropics. In addition, motley pigeons, trogons, woodpeckers, flycatchers, and rhino live on the equator. Hummingbirds, tanagras, rocky males, cotings and many others are found in the Amazon forests.
Animals
The fauna of the rainforest is striking in its diversity and richness of species. The largest number is represented by a group of monkeys that live high on trees and in impenetrable thickets. The most interesting of them are tsebids, marmoset and arachnid representatives of the family. Needle-shaped ones are characterized by a very small size, they reach a length of no more than 15 cm, tsebids can boast a long tail, which they catch on the branches, and arachnid monkeys have flexible and long limbs.
But the wildlife of the rainforests is not limited to monkeys alone, anteaters, sloths, porcupines also live here. Among predators, representatives of felines predominate - jaguars, jaguarundis, ocelots, panthers, from the canine family - bush dogs. There are ungulates - tapirs, deer spicy horned animals. Rainforests are also rich in rodents - possums, marsupial rats, bats, agouti.
Amphibians of the tropics
Large and reptile is also characterized by rainforest. Photos of exotic snakes, frogs, crocodiles, chameleons, lizards are no longer considered a rarity. Amphibians are found in all parts of the world, but their greatest number is observed in moist tropical forests, because they are attracted by heat and moisture. At the equator, they live not only in water, but also on trees, in the axils of leaves, in hollows. Salamanders live in the tropics, many poisonous snakes, water anacondas and land boa constrictors are very common.
Insects
Looking at the animals that live in the rainforest, it can be assumed that insects are no less bright, unusual and dangerous. The tropics attract these small creatures with warmth, high humidity and a wide variety of food - animal remains, numerous plants. At the equator you can meet the bees and wasps habitual for us, only here they differ in larger sizes and bright, brilliant color. Among them there are representatives with long legs, blue wings and a large body, they are able to tame large beetles and spiders. Swollen trunks are found on many shrubs - these are ant nests. Ants in the tropics protect plants by eating leaf-eating insects.
Beetles do not play a significant role in the life of rainforests, but every traveler will be fascinated by their diversity and diversity. These insects are a natural decoration of this God-forgotten area. Of course, one cannot but recall the tropical butterflies, only in South America there are more than 700 species of these beautiful creatures. Animals and plants of the rainforests are a special world unknown to people. Researchers annually make their way into the thickets to open the veil of secrets that this area holds, to find new representatives of the flora and fauna.
Adapted to his bathing conditions?
How did the leaves adapt?
Throughout life, the leaves of some tropical plants change shape. Young trees, while they still cover them with the crowns of the trees of the upper tier, have broad, soft leaves. They are adapted to catch the smallest rays of light breaking through the upper canopy. They have a yellowish or reddish tint. So they try to escape from animal devouring. Red or yellow color may seem inedible to them.
When a tree grows to the first tier, then its leaves are reduced in size and as if covered with wax. Now there is a lot of light and the leaves have a different task. Water should completely drain from them, without attracting small animals.
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The leaves of some plants can regulate the flow of sunlight. In order not to overheat in bright light, they stand parallel to the sun's rays. When the sun obscures the cloud, the leaves rotate horizontally to take more solar energy for photosynthesis.
Pollination of flowers
For pollination, flowers must attract insects, birds or bats. They attract with its bright color, smell and delicious nectar. To attract their pollinators, even plants of the upper tier decorate themselves with beautiful flowers. Moreover, during flowering, they even discard part of their leaves so that their flowers stand out more clearly.
To attract insects, orchids secrete nectar, from which the bees get drunk. They are forced to crawl along the flower, pollinating it. Other species of orchids simply slam, pollinating the insect.
But not enough, pollinate the flowers, it is still necessary to spread the seeds. Seeds are carried by animals. To attract them, plants offer them delicious fruits with seeds hidden inside. The animal eats the fruit, and the seed comes out of it along with excrement, quite capable of germination.
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Sometimes plants reproduce using only one species of animal. So the American nut propagates only with the help of a large rodent agouti. Although agouti nuts are eaten completely, they burrow part of them in the ground. Our squirrels make such a reserve. Forgotten seeds germinate.
Animal food in the tropics
Animals in the midst of plenty of food are not enough food. Plants learned to protect themselves with thorns, poisons, and bitter substances. Animals over the years of evolution have found their way to adapt to living in tropical forests. They live in a certain place and lead the life that ensures his survival.
It happens that a predator eats bugs of a certain species. He learned to catch bugs quickly, spending a minimum of time and effort hunting. The predator and its prey have adapted to each other. If the bug does not become extinct, then the predator that eats them will die out.
Adaptation of animals to subtropical habitats
In the tropics, food grows and flutters all year round, but it is not enough. All conditions are created for invertebrates in the forest, and they grow to large sizes. These are millipedes, snails and stick insects. Mammals are small. There are few herbivores in the forest. There is not enough food for them. This means that there are few predators feeding them. There are no animals with long horns. With them it is difficult to navigate the tropics. Mammals move quietly. Thus, they are saved from overheating.
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Excellent live in the tropics for nimble monkeys. They quickly move through the forest, looking for places where a lot of fruit has grown. The tail of a monkey replaces its fifth limb. The anteater, the porcupine of the igloosherst, also have a grasping tail. Animals that are not able to climb well learned to fly well. They are easy to plan. They have a leathery membrane that connects the front and hind legs.
Union tree with ants
Trees grow in the tropics with hollow branches. Ants live in the cavity of the branches. They protect their tree from herbivores. Ants give the tree enough light. They eat leaves of creepers in nearby trees, obscuring the light for their host tree. Ants eat all the leaves that are not like the leaves of their native tree. They even remove all organics from his crown. The tree is well-groomed, like a gardener. For this, insects have dry housing and safety.
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How did the frogs adapt?
High humidity allows toads and frogs to live far from the river. They live beautifully, living in the upper tiers of the forest. For the pond, frogs chose the hollow of trees. They coat it with resin from the inside and wait for it to fill with rainwater. Then the frog lays eggs there. Dart frog, arranges holes for its offspring in moist soil.
The male remains to guard the clutch. Then it transfers the tadpoles to the reservoir formed between the leaves of bromeliad. Some frogs lay eggs in a nest of foam. They sculpt a nest on branches hanging over the river. Hatched tadpoles immediately fall into the river. Other frogs lay their eggs in moist ground. They come out of there already young individuals.
Animal disguise
Animals in the forest are trying to become invisible to their predators. Under the forest canopy there is a constant play of light and shadow. Such spotted skins in okapi, antelopes, bongos. Spotting blurs the contours of their bodies and makes them difficult to distinguish. You can very well mask under the leaves. If the animal looks like a leaf and does not move, then it is difficult to see. Because many insects and frogs are green or brown. In addition, they move little. And the sticks disguise themselves as a twig.
